Circular connectors having multi-pin interconnects with cylindrical contact housings and circular contact interface geometries are well known in the industry. Circular connectors are used in various applications due to their ability to conveniently house different types of contacts, their wide range of allowable contact voltages and currents, their ease of environmental sealing and their rugged mechanical performance.
While existing connectors work relatively well, there is no easy or simple way to assemble or disassemble a circular connector, and consequently, they are time-consuming to install. To connect or disconnect conductors, the threaded nut must be engaged or disengaged before the connection may be made or broken. In addition, temperature cycling and/or rotational torque applied to the cable assembly can cause the threaded nut to back off, negatively impacting electrical and mechanical performance. In known circular connectors, the threaded nut and other components must be made of metal or the like, to ensure for reliability over many cycles, thereby adding to the cost of the connectors. Alternatively, metal snap rings may be required to maintain the components in positions. Such snap rings make it difficult to disassemble the components.
It would, therefore, be beneficial to provide a circular connector and method in which flexible retention features are used to maintain the components in position, allowing for the ease in the assembly and disassembly of the components.